Essential Tips For Truck Drivers To Minimize Risk
It’s not just for their health and well-being that you need to keep your drivers safe on the road. Their safety affects not only other road users but also your bottom line.
Trucking is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, according to the Department of Labor (DOL).
Freight and distribution fleets have some of the highest rates of workplace injuries and fatalities, which seem to be increasing year after year.
You not only safeguard your drivers by enhancing their safety, but you also cut costs related to accidents. In addition, the cost of claim settlements, and increases in insurance premiums reduce.
The good news is that you can increase the safety of your truck drivers by fostering a workplace culture. Doing that will actively advise, train, and reward the most cautious drivers.
Tips and tricks
Continue reading for our finest truck driving guidelines and guidance on how to improve your fleet’s overall safety:
- Motivate your truckers to use defensive driving techniques
- Make a schedule for preventative maintenance
- Ensure thorough pre and post-trip inspections
- Instruct drivers on how to prevent distractions
- Tools to respond to changes in traffic conditions
Motivate your truckers to use defensive driving techniques
This type of driving urges truckers to be always alert for potential hazards as well as changes in driving or road conditions.
Training is given to drivers to anticipate potentially harmful situations and make them safe. It is essential to make well-informed decisions while behind the wheel to limit the chance of accidents and injuries.
Here is some advice for you:
Watch out for a blind spot
Since a huge vehicle is so high off the ground, it may be difficult for tractor-trailer or truck drivers to see it. Even the cars behind them or next to their vehicle.
A blind spot is an area around a vehicle that a driver cannot see immediately.
When changing lanes, make sure drivers are looking over their shoulders and out the windows.
Be alert for emergency
Conditions can quickly change while traveling, especially over long distances. Encourage your drivers to be ready for a variety of emergencies, such as bad weather or vehicle breakdowns.
Always signal
It can be tempting to complete lane changes and exit motorways without signaling. Drivers who operate on longer sections of the road or during non-peak traffic times, on the other hand, can increase the chances of a collision.
Make a schedule for preventative maintenance
The protection of your employees begins with the safety of the trucks in which they are traveling.
You should keep your trucks and tractor-trailers up with routine maintenance, such as oil and brake pad changes. Those vehicles that do not go through routine maintenance are more likely to break down on the highway.
You can keep your vehicles in good shape. Perhaps, by doing routine maintenance and proactive repairs, drivers can prevent failures while on the road.
Ensure thorough pre and post-trip inspections
Using rigorous vehicle inspections to guarantee all trucks are safe before drivers start driving goes hand in hand with boosting driver safety through maintenance.
The DOT requires pre-trip and post-trip inspections, but not just any inspection will suffice. Use technologies that ensure all inspections are complete and thoroughly documented to protect the safety of your drivers.
Instruct drivers on how to prevent distractions
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, drivers who distract while driving become one of the major causes of truck driver accidents.
Anything that causes a driver to take their eyes off the road or their hands off the steering wheel is distracted driving. Distractions might include anything from eating lunch while driving to looking out the window at a billboard.
However, the most common kind of distracted driving is the use of a cell phone, specifically texting while driving.
Tools to respond to changes in traffic conditions
Driving conditions are unpredictable, particularly for long-haul travelers who travel across multiple states or regions. Traffic and bad weather are the two factors most likely to compromise a driver’s safety on the road.
Bumper-to-bumper traffic causes vehicles to stop and go frequently, increasing the risk of an accident. Bad weather conditions, such as snow or rain, can reduce a driver’s sight or make roads slick. Perhaps, increasing the risk of an accident.
GPS tracking let you keep an eye on your fleet
You can always know where your drivers are with fleet management technology that delivers real-time GPS tracking. GPS is critical for assuring your drivers’ safety, particularly during breakdowns or other emergencies.
If a vehicle breaks down, knowing its exact position is critical so you can assist the driver as quickly as possible.
Encourage adequate rest and rest breaks
Encourage drivers to always prioritize personal safety and the safety of other motorists on the road, in addition to taking mandated breaks.
This implies urging your drivers to take extra pauses while driving if they are sleepy or otherwise impaired. Although this may necessitate additional time away from their “On-Duty” period.
It has the potential to significantly reduce at-fault accidents caused by weariness. This not only makes your drivers safer, but it also helps you save money on accidents.
Develop coaching and incentive programs
Incentivizing and rewarding drivers who exhibit safe driving habits and practices is a vital aspect of fostering a safety-first culture. Building up coaching and rewards programs is one of the simplest ways to assure fleet safety.
You may utilize genuine film to demonstrate to drivers how to improve their road safety by deploying dash cams to your fleet.
Conclusion
To conclude, in the trucking industry, driver safety is a major concern. Many accidents and injuries can decline if you follow certain safety rules.
There are several easy things you can do every day as a truck driver to safeguard your safety as well as the safety of other drivers on the road.
For instance, a van truck supplier of food and drink needs to take extra care while driving since the driver needs to protect the food as well as the vehicle.
Therefore, it is essential to keep a check on your driver and most importantly on your vehicle to ensure both are safe and sound.
